


Stopping Point

by FunkyFaunus



Category: HoloEN, Hololive, Virtual Streamer Animated Characters
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Prison, F/F, Slow Burn, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:21:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29965599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunkyFaunus/pseuds/FunkyFaunus
Summary: It was about noon on a dull Monday when all the dominos of a single girl’s life began to tumble down, one by one in a fine line. Don’t do crime, kids. ( I haven’t been to prison before so this might not be entirely accurate, but I’m pretty sure none of you have either so it’s probably fine. :] )
Relationships: Mori Calliope/Takanashi Kiara
Comments: 22
Kudos: 70





	1. ONE: Where It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> this is a VERY self indulgent fic, i dunno why but i love prison fics so much. If it’s super out of character i apologize. whoever’s joining me for the ride, welcome!! last fic was super short so imma try to have at least 1k words per chap. also, unrelated but i can see why caffeine is considered a drug because jesus christ my brain feels like goo and i can't stop shaking

Away from the bustling city and deep into the countryside sat an abandoned church, small and quaint but a church nonetheless. The rotting wood alongside the scattered headstones made it evident that it didn’t have many visitors apart from the one currently occupying the space. The single living soul could be seen sitting in one of the few pews that hadn’t yet been eaten away by the seasons. Her attire wasn’t really fit for church; A white hoodie, a pair of skinny jeans, and some sneakers. Regardless, her eyes were scrunched with her hands clenched tightly enough for her knuckles to turn white. After finishing her intense prayer she sharply lifted her head, causing her long pink hair to follow suit. She opened one scarlet eye and looked to the lone window in the back just in time to see the sun begin to rise. Standing up and dusting off her pants, she walked outside the place of worship back to her beat-up car.

The car in question was a black Ford Mustang from 1998 that rarely saw the light of day other than on Sundays. It was the car Calliope Mori was the most acquainted with despite its light usage. Using a personal car in view of the police was just asking to get tracked down, after all. She began her trek down the faded path to the vehicle, shooting her partner in crime a quick text to let them know she was on her way. She switched her phone out for her keys, twisting them in the door and opening gently. She took her time starting up the car and closing the door since she was in no real rush to get to the location. Only after she popped an old hip-hop CD into the radio and adjusted her rearview mirrors did she begin to back out of the grass. The bumps of the gravel road and smell of morning dew reminded her of the days she stayed with her family, clueless to the outside world. It was hard to believe that was only a year ago.

In that short amount of time, she had become one of the most wanted criminals in the area alongside her childhood friend. What started as a drunken thought amongst the two friends singing karaoke slowly morphed into something much bigger. It began with shoplifting necessity items to save cash, leading to avoiding taxes, and then eventually to armed robbery. While they did possess firearms, no one had been killed so far. The most done had been a shot to the arm; and that was just to avoid being shot at themselves. They never resorted to drug related business, though. The adrenaline that always came after was more than enough.

Despite the fact that no murder had ever occurred, they earned themselves two nicknames that were rather infamous around the area; The Grim Reaper and Man Eating Shark, respectively. No doubt the names came from the masks they wore when they made a hit, but that didn’t change the fact that they were misleading. Calli let out a chuckle whilst imagining someone shouting the nicknames, camera panning to the actual Grim Reaper standing awkwardly next to a shark just flopping around. That was the last thought she had on the gravel road as it switched to concrete, traveling into the main city. The trip to the church once a week was always a long one, but she wouldn’t change it for the world. It was second nature at this point, knowing the twists and turns of the road as if they were the back of her own hand.

After a few minutes she pulled the Mustang into the driveway of a run-down outdoor warehouse, shooting her friend a text to alert her she had arrived. A few moments passed before her message was marked as read, punctuated by the sound of the rusted garage door rising at a steady pace. Behind it she was met by a short girl with white hair and blue highlights waving her inside with a smile. The taller of the two gave a thumbs up before pulling the car inside and shutting it off with a flick of the wrist. While she was occupied with getting her bearings, the other inside the room flicked a switch on the wall, closing off the sunlight once again. Once the door was completely on the ground it revealed a map of the whole city with hit points marked in red. 

Taking her hand off of the switch, she ran her turquoise eyes over their makeshift home of ten months. The inner walls were the same concrete bricks shown on the outside; sturdy but cracked significantly. There was enough space between each side of the car to walk comfortably into the furnished half of the building, though furnished was a bit of an overstatement since there were only two mattresses sat on the floor separated by a thin desk. Atop that desk sat a mini-fridge containing the bare minimum, along with some wads of cash. The rest of their money was inside the seats of Calli’s car to keep it safe. Under the desk sat both of their clothes folded neatly, though they only had about three outfits each. It wasn’t much, but it was home. She tried to imagine living as she was before they got into this mess, paycheck to paycheck. She sincerely didn’t want to go back. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to take it after all they’d done to get here.

Snapping out of her absorption, she asked the other in the room if the trip went okay and only received a hum of affirmation in response. Satisfied enough with the answer, the small girl hopped onto the trunk, swinging her legs patiently until she felt a weight settle next to her. The pink haired girl passed the other a beer bottle, drinking from her own. “So,” she began in between sips, “What’s the plan, Gura?” Between the two, Gura was the brains and Calli the brawn. That wasn’t saying much though, as both were similar in most everything apart from height. The girl being spoken to said thanks for the beverage and popped off the cap, proceeding to voice her proposal before indulging herself in the alcohol. 

“I was thinking we could ‘borrow’ from the bank this time. It’ll be high risk, high reward, ya know? The effort will be worth it in the end.” The pink haired girl nodded to herself, agreeing with the idea, then pointed out a single flaw in her plan. “It’s Sunday, though. They’re closed today.” Gura looked at her with wide eyes, offended at the very assumption she would forget that key detail. “Well, we can’t plan _and_ execute in just one day, dummy! We’ll go tomorrow. We’re going to need a ride though, unless you plan on getting rid of this bad boy.” She patted the very trunk they sat on to show what she was referencing. It was Calli’s turn to look at the other as if they were crazy.

“Hell no bro! I’ll figure something out, you can count on me.” “That I can.” The two settled in a comfortable silence, each tending to their own bottles until they were unavoidably empty. Calli decided she would ‘pick up’ the car directly before the heist, since from experience stolen cars were reported less than twenty four hours later. After discussing the next day a bit longer they hopped off of the trunk and decided to get ready for bed. After wishing each other a “Goodnight,” the lights were turned off. Both drifted to sleep peacefully, savoring the day as always. Little did they know it would be one of the last face-to face conversations they would have for a long while.


	2. TWO: Major Miscalculations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> u hungry?

Calliope Mori was woken harshly from her peaceful slumber, the sound of booming thunder and the pattering of rain being her only alarm. Wiping the sleep from her eyes haphazardly and sitting up straight she decided to prepare for their biggest felony yet. After her eyes were done adjusting to the darkness of the room, she wobbled over to the trunk of her car to reveal their work clothes. These were the only clothes they ever wore as far as the police were concerned. For the Man Eating Shark: a blue jumpsuit, white beanie, platform sneakers stained with mud, and most recognizable of all; the shark ski mask. The media described Gura as a short bald man because of the baggy attire and her hidden hair. Very amusing for one, and embarrassing for the other. 

On the other hand, she herself wore a black jacket over a white t-shirt, black leggings, combat boots, and her signature facewear; a skull bandana. She assumed that the Reaper name came from her having the hood up at all times. That didn’t stop Gura from calling her edgy every given moment because of the nickname. Realising standing around pondering the whole morning wasn’t very productive, she waited for Gura to wake up then went outside to retrieve their ride for the day. The rain had stopped, but it was still cloudy. After walking down multiple soggy sidewalks in her pajamas she found the perfect target. Someone had left their car running with the windows down. It was almost too easy.

The red minivan wasn’t in the best shape from the looks of the paint, but it would get the job done. Popping open the door through the window and driving off, she made it back home with little trouble. She rapped her knuckles lightly on the garage door to signal for Gura. Heading inside, they got prepared for one of the scariest things they had ever done. They waited until noon to get dressed in their attire and throw their gear into the trunk. Afterwards they drove up to the bank in relative silence, hearts pounding from the very second they woke up. In the back of their minds they knew they should have planned more, but they foolishly pushed away that thought. Maybe if they hadn’t jumped in so suddenly they could live happily ever after.

But this wasn’t some sort of fairytale, princesses didn’t gamble their livelihoods for a sick thrill. 

They pulled into the bank parking lot, locked eyes, then popped the trunk. Grabbing the single bag from the back, they went inside to go through with their life threatening mission. A few minutes had passed. The parking lot was silent, nothing muttering a peep. Suddenly, shouting could be heard from inside and an alarm went off. The two criminals burst out of the front door, money spilling out of the bag as they sprinted to their getaway. The second they got in their seat Calli swerved onto the road, not bothering to wait for either to close the doors or buckle up.

She could be heard muttering frantic curses under her breath, trying to get the vehicle under control to no avail. “Gura, we really fucked up. This plan sucked ass.” Gura looked like she was in fear of her life, not expecting it to take this turn. “I’m sorry, ok! I didn’t expect this to happen!” 

Calliope was growing more and more panicked as sirens could be heard getting closer from behind. “No shit, but it did! Now we’ve got five cops after us!” She glanced to the shorter girl, the red and blue lights framing her face and reflecting off of her tears.

“I can’t go to jail! Do you see how short I am? I have noodle arms! I’m gonna get snapped in half! I-” Gura babbled on and on with more and more tears trailing down against her will, unable to process how things changed so quickly. The other girl tried to calm her down with a shaky voice to no avail. “Calm down dog, you’re not going to jail.” 

The short girl sounded like she was having a breakdown when she responded, voice shrill. “Are you crazy?! We’re both going to jail, we literally have cops trailing us!” She motioned behind them frantically, brain almost short circuiting from the overload of emotions. Calliope ignored her question, responding with one of her own. 

“You remember the church? The one from when we were kids?” They had now made it out of the city and into the forest on a thin road, doors still open somehow. The cops were going to start shooting any minute now. Gura nodded her head so quickly she felt sick. “When I say, jump out as fast as you can before the cops make impact. Run into the trees. Don’t stop until you make it to the church.” Before she could even respond, Calliope shouted “Now!” and turned the car sharply to the left. The vehicle made a barricade covering the entire road. Instinct taking over mind, Gura did exactly as told and ran into the trees without looking back.

Not a second later did the cops crash into the stolen car. Calliope was shaken all around, feeling a sharp pain to her entire left side. She would be lucky if no bones were broken after that stunt. Her vision blurred, all the noises around sounding submerged in water. She weakly put her hands in the air, no point in resisting after all. She was trapped. Someone climbed into the passenger seat and shouted something, pulling out a gun and aiming it directly at her. She opened her mouth to explain her hearing situation, but nothing but mangled noises came out. Her brain started to feel fuzzy, and her vision had dark spots. Head feeling heavy, she gave in to the strong urge to close her eyes. The whole outside world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea
> 
> (ps Nasty Crime Commenter you are hilarious please comment more. thank you.)


	3. THREE: Please Hold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imma start separating the paragraphs more so it's not as cluttered

Calliope woke to sterile white walls and intense light. Just as she began to wonder if she somehow made it to heaven, someone cleared their throat. She hazily looked over to see the man in medical attire. “I see you’re awake. I’ll alert the officers immediately.” And with that, he was gone without as much as a nod. 

She sat in confused silence for a few minutes as she tried to put the pieces together. _Why was she in the hospital? Why were her eyes lagging behind? Why did everything hurt? Where’s Gura?_

After that last question whizzed through her mind, everything hit her like a train. Gura was all alone, most likely breaking down in that tiny church. _Did Gura know the way back home? Do they even have a home anymore?_ She was still processing it when two officers marched into the room. 

One started listing her Miranda Rights while the other quietly put her in cuffs. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.” 

It was all moving too fast, and before she knew it she was yanked onto her feet. “You’re being taken in for questioning. Afterwards you will be put in a holding cell until your court date. Any and all proceeding that is for the judge to decide.” He twisted the verbal knife even deeper. “We finally caught you, Reaper.” 

She decided not to add to the long list of charges already acquired and followed the officers outside of the hospital, still in the clothes she passed out in. Soon enough they made it to the police car she presumably arrived in. After she was thrown in the back seat they slammed the door shut, as if they were afraid she would run. Why would she though? She wasn’t _that_ stupid. 

On second thought, maybe she was. She wouldn’t have agreed to rob a bank if she was smart.

\-----

The trip to the station was short and uneventful. After the car pulled in behind the building she was led inside directly into a seat. One officer stood next to the locked door while the other walked over to her. He uncuffed her right hand and swiftly clasped the cuffs on to the chair. He then sat on his own directly perpendicular to hers with a grunt. 

His closed eyes sunk into his skull, likely from the restless night spent tending to this case. His thumb and forefinger held the bridge of his nose as he thought up endless questions. They really were a handful, crimes scattered throughout the city at random times. He repeated her Miranda Rights once again as he took notepad in hand, thus the questioning began. 

She decided to answer all he asked during those long two hours. Having a lawyer present to lessen the damage would take too long, and quite frankly she didn’t think she deserved it. Her thought process went something like this; What she did was wrong, and now was the time to repent. A stupid decision really, but it would put the little voice in the back of her head to rest.

Just because she was answering didn’t mean every response would be completely truthful. Calliope Mori was no snitch.

The only completely truthful answer was her own name, but that was because they definitely had her fingerprints by now. Each question was more incriminating than the last, going from the worst crime she committed to where she lived. They had even asked if the news outlets got Gura’s description correct, and of course she affirmed. Yes, she was a short bald man. She would have allowed herself a bitter chuckle if the situation wasn’t so tense. 

Once the questioning was complete both cuffs were back on her wrists. She was led to the showers, and after she was clean she was tossed an orange jumpsuit. She didn’t have time to reminisce on the article of clothing before she was shoved in a hallway with a camera. She was handed a piece of paper with a serial number.

She put her back to the painted wall with measurements, smiling for the mugshot. She knew it would make her even more guilty than she already was, but deep down she hoped Gura would see it somehow and know that she was alright. As she turned for every angle needed, she wondered how the media would react to her pink hair and cheeky grin. If her assumptions were correct she wouldn’t find out for a few years, at minimum. 

The officer behind the camera had a scowl, most likely thinking she was mocking him with the smirk. Any hope of positive reputation between the guards, down the drain it goes. 

He aggressively stomped her into her new home until further notice. The questioning officer had let her know her court date was next month, till then she was stuck in this cell. 

\-----

The twenty five days she was stuck in that cell she had gotten very acquainted with her surroundings. All meals were eaten in that disgusting room, if they could even be called that. The concrete walls were just as dirty and unkempt as the stained flooring composed of the same material. The food served was unrecognizable, and she had to drink the water from her sink if she didn’t want to dehydrate. Did you know that water from said sink drains into the toilet? She did.

During those three long weeks she had gotten used to sleeping on a disturbingly unhygienic bed and waking up to screaming officers. The only thing she had to pass the time was a single pull up bar in the corner of her cell that she put to good use. Her muscles were at least twice as strong as they were before arrival. 

Now she was sat in the back of yet another police car, this time being transported to her trial. The outcome was already obvious, she wanted to get it over with already. At least in prison she would be allowed on a courtyard with other people. With that last thought in mind, the courthouse came to view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cant wait for the collab in a few hours
> 
> also anyone know how to get rid of the second bottom note below? its on every chapter and i only wanted it on the first


	4. FOUR: The Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay, got sick. also i havent been to a trial or prison bus before so if this isnt accurate blame google

The first couple of steps into the courthouse weren’t as nerve racking as you would think. If it could be compared to anything, it would be equal to having your birthday but not feeling any older. Like most mentally affecting things it takes a while to hit. After it really starts to sink in, though, that's when you feel like your heart is trying to tear itself out of your chest and your lungs have zero capacity. Calliope Mori felt it firsthand as she sat next to her state appointed lawyer. 

The layout was as you would expect; judge front and center with his bailiff by his side like a dog. The court reporter was on the other side of the desk, fingers itching to get the transcript. A court clerk sat in his own desk directly in front of the big man's. To his left there was the jury box filled with the very people who would decide the young woman’s fate. Gossip before the trail was common. She tried to not let the whispers drifting over get to her head. 

Said woman was sitting at her own desk facing the clerk, right next to a man who looked utterly hopeless. She felt apologetic for a brief moment; admitting to everything the officers asked didn’t really help his job in proving her innocent. Other than that, there was one more desk to their right which held the plaintiff and their counsel. There was only one other thing in the room worth mentioning, but the scarlet eyed woman would rather not think about it.

Behind her sat at least fifty people waiting to see her get dragged off in cuffs. She didn’t recall ever hearing about there being a live audience during trials, but her memory had failed on multiple occasions before. Regardless of how she felt there would always be multiple pairs of eyes on her at all times. Watching her every move. Holding on to every word she spoke. It was enough to send the weakest into cardiac arrest. 

But mama didn’t raise a coward, even if she _was_ disapprovingly watching from the crowd behind. 

\-----

The trial felt like it was going at incredible speeds and a snail’s pace at the exact same time. Both of the attorneys did most of the talking while the main subject sat silently. Her stomach felt like it was turning itself inside out, brain feeling like it had been slammed with a mallet. She spent her last hour or so of freedom staring out of the window with blood red irises. It kept her mind off her surroundings no matter how childish it seemed. The pounding of a mallet snapped her out of her dwelling. 

The perpetrator of the sound spoke in a clear and concise voice to signal the end of the trial. "Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" One person in the jury stood tall with a booming voice that pounded in her ears. "Yes, your Honor, we have." She expected it, but the reality playing out in front of her instead of her mind was jarring. 

**"Your Honor, the members of this Jury find the defendant guilty."**

Eyes wide and knees weak, the defendant was pulled to her feet with her bound hands still on her lap. “Calliope Mori has been found guilty of evading police, armed robbery, grand theft auto, and tax evasion, and as such is being sentenced to nine years of prison. Eligible for parole consideration in the future. 

“This court is adjourned. All rise.” The simple statement was punctuated with another pounding of the gavel. No resistance was given as the officers led her back to the car they came in. The trail was so simple, so concise. Frustratingly so.

She didn’t even let out a peep when she was led back to the cell she had grown so acquainted with over the past few months. Sleep wouldn't have come even if she had tried. The only indication that any time had passed at all was the pounding of footsteps towards her cell. “Rise and shine inmate. Your ride is here.”

She was led to the front of the building for the second time that week, but this time there was a long vehicle waiting. It looked just like a school bus, only white and with bars along where the windows were. There were only three other women on the bus when she sat down in the middle row. They were all spread out from what little she saw. She wouldn’t check to make sure since a single wrong glance could get you killed once you stepped foot on prison grounds. 

It was a bit surreal seeing the roads as they drove. So long of imprisonment made the sound of vehicles guzzling gas and the cloudless sky a rare occurrence. She sat with her head against the glass with no regard for the pain that came with the bumps of the road. Savoring the feeling of being able to sit in silence with just the rumbling of the gravel road as company was a nice change of pace. Even if she was heading to her personal hell of nine years.

Recognizing the gravel road after a couple minutes, she paid closer attention to her surroundings just in time to see the church pass by. It seemed undisturbed since the last time she was there. She pushed aside the sinking feeling in her stomach and reassured herself that Gura could take care of herself. They were both adults. All would be well at the end.

After a couple more hours she found herself almost dozing off before a sharp stop startled her out of slumber. The sound of a gate creaking open could be heard from the front of the bus. Before long they were moving again, but there was a looming shadow ahead. Finally, they had made it to their destination. The prison she would be spending the next three thousand, two hundred and eighty five days at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my head is killing meee AAAAAAAAAAA if this whole chap makes no sense lemme know and ill try to fix it later ok bye


	5. FIVE: Fresh Meat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ask and you shall receive, doubled the chapter length (2k words per chap from now on). eat up children. i have 10 assignments to do. this is called procrastination

The giant building looked as one would expect. It was wide and made of bricks with barbed wire all around, few sections standing taller than the rest. Calliope Mori couldn’t see the courtyard from here, but she assumed it resided behind the looming structure. Before her eyes could drift around any farther an officer shouted from the bus doors. That was their cue to get out by their own will or be brought out with force. 

One by one they all lined up onto the concrete path, and one by one they were led into the building straight into a hall. She was sure she would get acquainted with the area eventually, but as of now she felt like a lost puppy being led by a tiger. 

All four women followed the officer, who had her hair put up upon closer inspection, into a separate room. Mori saw her unlock the door with the swipe of a keycard, then she shouted to march inside. Making a mental note that even the simplest rooms needed some kind of authorization, she obeyed the order. The orange-haired woman then commanded them to take a seat on the bench. After that, each one took a turn inside the room before coming out with a new set of clothes and occupying their spot once more.

Mori was the second to last to get called inside, and it took one step into the room for her to realize what was happening. It was time for the full body search, and the very officer that led them in was conducting it. She did as told and faced the wall with her arms outstretched, trying to think about anything other than the purple eyes and rough hands on her bare skin searching for contraband. Unfortunately the other woman decided to open her mouth. “You come here often?”

Her voice was high pitched and had a slight accent, though not unpleasant. The pink haired girl had a mental battle deciding if she should indulge and speak up or if it was some sort of test, but eventually settled for a nervous shake of the head. She could practically hear the other woman pout. How strange. And unprofessional. 

Just as she opened her mouth to speak as such (and probably get reprimanded for doing so) she felt a small pat on her lower back and the shuffling of cloth. “All done! Shame you did a crime to get your pretty self in jail, but at least you weren’t dumb enough to sneak in anything.” She earned herself a questioning look in response and decided to continue the one-sided conversation.

“You could’ve earned an extra year in prison depending on what it was. But enough what-ifs!” She clapped her gloved hands firmly to indicate the start of a new subject. “Go in that door to your right and shower. Change into these clothes afterwards then sit as you were before.” Mori nodded and, once again, did as told. She was not about to risk getting on someone's bad side so early on.

After showering (and avoiding thinking about how many others used that very bar of soap) she walked out to get dressed. The clothes were baggy but at least they weren’t neon orange anymore. It was pretty hard to make a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants look bad. The officer staring at her seemed to agree. She cuffed the red eyed girl and then called in the next prisoner. Mori sat back down on the bench. 

The last criminal to go into the room was dragged to solitary confinement by another officer after drugs were found on her. Mori never saw her again.

Like clockwork everyone else had been inspected and wore the same clothes. Before long the sole officer in their presence stepped out and had the same intimidating look she wore during their first interaction.

“C'mon ladies. Time to meet your new classmates for the rest of your time here.” With that as her final words two other officers joined them all and led them down a number of hallways with even more secure doors. They eventually made it to a long and noisy hallway with multiple branches going off of it. Describing it as overwhelming would be an understatement. 

Other inmates chanting about new recruits and fresh meat could be heard from the left and the right. Each officer took an inmate with them to lead them to their cell, Calli getting stuck with the woman whom she interacted with before. For better or for worse. At least she didn’t wear her scowl as she took her to her room.

With her final card swipe in the pink girl’s presence, the door to the cell slid itself open with a hiss. As soon as she stepped inside the door closed with the same noise. She was commanded to sit her bound arms through the slot in the door. As soon as the cuffs slipped off she was free to rub her sore wrists raw. The officer said a cheery farewell and Mori waved back awkwardly in response. She didn’t even notice the other presence in the cell.

Once her back was to the bars she almost jumped out of her skin. The cell had two beds so of course she had a cellmate. She really needed to start paying closer attention to her surroundings. Thankfully the other woman didn’t seem like she wanted to shank the startled newcomer. “First time behind bars, huh?”

Mori sized up the other woman before giving an answer. They were almost opposites in terms of appearance under closer inspection. Her purple hair went to her ankles and matched her eyes, though not the same shade as the previous officer’s. The red-eyed girl had at least a couple inches on her in height, amongst other areas. Another difference was that her own arms had gotten toned throughout the months while the other seemed to be the opposite. She was delicate, nothing like what you would expect from a prisoner. That’s what made her all the more frightening. “So what if it is?”

The small smile she got in response did  _ not  _ help the unsettling feeling in her gut. Avoiding the question, she simply settled for introducing herself. “My name’s Ina, but people know me as Cthulhu. You gotta get a prison nickname, y’know? Your turn to give up information.” After being met by silence she urged the pink haired girl further. “Don’t be shy, I promise I won’t bite.”

Calliope just scratched the back of her neck before finally giving in. “My name’s Calliope Mori. Lucky guess with your first question, though it was probably obvious. I have no idea how to act here.” The smile finally softened a bit to make it seem more genuine. It became close to sympathetic, but not quite there yet.

“The key is to pretend like you know everything or nothing. I fall into the former category personally.” This just got a hollow chuckle in response. “I don’t really need to pretend then. I already know jack shit about prison.” 

“Trust me, you’ll eavesdrop on plenty of conversations, whether you intend to or not. Soon enough you know how all the cliques and groups function.” The atmosphere became a bit more bearable. The other girl spoke up once more before retiring for the night.

“Just don’t get into any altercations and you should be fine. It can mean trouble if you don’t have someone watching your back. I learned from experience.” She flopped onto the hard mattress to signal the end of her half of the conversation. 

Calliope’s mouth moved before she told it to. Maybe it was pity, or the need to have someone to suffer with in this hell. No matter how it happened, she uttered a proposal that sounded utterly ridiculous as soon as it hit the air.

“What if I protected you?” They weren’t friends. Hell, they had just met not even ten minutes ago! No doubt it seemed like a desperate reach to leech off of the other girl.

She rushed to make the five words make sense as soon as she realized what had been said. “I mean, no offense, but you’re so small you could get pummeled into the ground. At least it’s likely that I'll have the height advantage with whoever it is, and between the two of us I'm definitely stronger. You don’t have to agree, of course, since I’m just some random newbie. But I’d be honored if we could at least be acquaintances?” The end of her rant sounded more like a question than an assertion. First she insults her physique and then boasts about being more intimidating between the two. Great. There was  _ no way _ she would pass up an offer so  _ eloquently _ put.  _ Nice going, you fucking idiot.  _

Thankfully, the other woman didn’t take it in the wrong way. With a smile in her voice she took her up on the offer, although she seemed more amused than thankful. Not bothering to put any more mental strain on her brain for the rest of the night, Mori finally relaxed and sat on her own bed.

Before immediately tensing up by the density of the damned mattress. If it was even deserving of that title. How did they possibly manage to make it feel like an oversized brick? And more importantly, how did Ina body slam this thing without shattering her whole spine? 

Deciding she was through with thinking, she tucked away all of her rhetorical questions and thoughts as she laid down for her first night of many. She would’ve had trouble sleeping if she didn’t stay awake all the previous night from stress. Almost passing out, the pink haired girl made herself as comfortable as possible before submitting to the urge and closing her eyes.

\-----

The first sign of day was the sunlight filtering through the small barred window on her side of the room. She hadn’t even noticed it the night before, but it was hard to ignore when she was being blinded. The other signal was the sound of water coming from the shared sink in the middle of the room, no doubt from Ina washing her face or something similar. 

Of course, there was one thing that carried over from the jail that she was thankfully already used to. The stomping of officers and their shouts to wake up was the only sense of familiarity she had currently. She wasn’t sure if she should be worried about how thankful she felt for the startling sounds. Either way, she was awake now whether she wanted to be or not. It was time to get acquainted with her new surroundings.

Ina seemed to sense her presence, because as soon as she started rubbing her eyes she received a good morning from the other side of the room. The bleary eyed girl mumbled the exact same words as she rubbed her face. Her back was killing her and her neck felt like it had been wringed out as if it was a towel. What a great start to her new normal.

The other woman informed her of how they had to make their beds before breakfast, and she complied as she always did. They had about an hour to kill in their cell before breakfast would be served in the canteen. A large purple book with an eye on its center kept Ina occupied and immersed. Calliope simply decided to do what she had in her previous cell. Stretching beforehand was a good warm-up, while also loosening her stiff muscles from the previous night’s sleep. As soon as she felt ready she started her exercises. Sit ups and push ups were the most obvious to start with, but she was delighted with what she soon realized. 

The window sill made for quite a sturdy pull up bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> consistent writing style? i dont know her. ALSO BTW im not gonna reply to every comment anymore but Nasty Crime Commenter you give me the motivation to keep writing this thing bro so thank you (only write the comments if u want to tho seriously no pressure)

**Author's Note:**

> probably gonna take a while to get to takamori so sorry in advance if that's what you're looking forward to


End file.
